WCAG 2.0 comments: Issue 492

Hello Greg,

Thank you for your comments on WCAG 2.0 [1].

Issue 492 [2]

Greg Gay writes:

2.5 Required criteria for this guideline applies to success feedback as 
well as error feedback. When a screen reader user for instance, submits  a 
form that performs a particular action, they will often want to verify that 
the operation was successful. Without success feedback it can be  very time 
consuming to make this verification.  "2. after a successful operation , 
provide the user with confirmation feedback".

Success feedback might have its own guideline (2.6,  though it might fit as 
3.4 (3c)) since it is fundamentally different from error feedback, and 
error recovery.  However, both error and success feedback could be 
consider  "graceful recovery". We distinguish between error, warning, and 
success feedback in ATutor. Error messages state the problem that occurred 
and provide courses of action. Warnings state that a possible error has 
occurred and provide a means to revert to a previous state our take an 
alternative course of action. Success feedback provides simple confirmation 
(in most cases)

ATutor Instructor Demo (see the feedback system as an instructor by 
performing various tasks such as creating, updating, or deleting content, 
modifying preferences, posting announcements....)
http://www.atutor.ca/atutor/demo.php

See "Learning from Your Mistakes" for more about fundamental cognitive 
differences between error and success feedback
http://www.ldrc.ca/projects/projects.php?id=23
===

In response to Issue 496, I wrote [3]:
This guideline was significantly rewritten in the March 11, 2004 Working 
Draft [3].  However, the draft does not include anything about success 
feedback. It is not clear whether the recommendation to include this 
feedback is something for the guidelines or techniques.  If you feel this 
should be included as a success criteria, please propose an edit to the 
latest draft.
===

Could you look at our latest draft [4] and write a proposed guideline or 
success criterion?  I am happy to help you draft a proposal and am 
available either by telephone or email, whichever you prefer.

Thank you,
--wendy

[1] 
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-comments-wcag20/2003Sep/0000.html
[2] <http://trace.wisc.edu/bugzilla_wcag/show_bug.cgi?id=492>
[3] 
<http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-comments-wcag20/2004Apr/0003.html>
[4] <http://www.w3.org/TR/2004/WD-WCAG20-20040311/>

-- wendy a chisholm
world wide web consortium
web accessibility initiative
http://www.w3.org/WAI/
/--

Received on Friday, 30 April 2004 18:33:15 UTC